'Superkids' take part in reading program at St. Teresa's school on Staten Island

Kindergarten students at St. Teresa's School celebrate their participation in the new reading program. In Level 1, called "Meet the Superkids," the youngsters focus on the first 13 letters of the alphabet and how to read, write, spell, and recognize those letters.Photo Courtesy of Cheryl Pfuler

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- They weren’t wearing capes or carrying magic swords, but students in Laura Fallon‘s kindergarten class at St. Teresa’s School (STS) felt like heroes during a party in their Castleton Corners classroom on Feb. 22 that celebrated their inaugural participation in the “Superkids Reading Program.”

The comprehensive core reading and language arts initiative was designed for kindergarten, first, and second grades, and uses phonics as the key method of teaching children to read and write.

It was launched in September as the new reading program at St. Teresa’s, not only for Mrs. Fallon’s kindergarten, but for first-graders in teacher Christine Wilsea’s class, and second-graders in Melissa Arbitrio’s class. The program was made possible through the fund-raising efforts of the STS Family Guild.

Created by Pleasant Rowland, founder of the non-profit Rowland Reading Foundation, who also created the American Girl franchise, it complies with New York State’s Common Core curriculum standards, according to Principal Catherine Dempsey. 

LOOKS FAMILIAR

For baby boomers who learned to read using phonics, the program sounds like a bit of back-to-basics deja vu. Each level provides phonics-based reading instruction using fiction and non-fiction material. Reading is taught — along with writing, spelling, and grammar — by using grade-appropriate stories and lessons brought to life by “Superkids” characters designed to hold students’ attention through the use of adventures, songs, and life experiences. (It’s sort of a 21st century version of “Dick and Jane”.)

The program — whose motto is “The Science of Reading, the Art of Teaching” — aims to ease the challenges often associated with learning to read by the end of second grade, and to avoid the need for future reading intervention in the intermediate grades.

In “Meet the Superkids,” the Level 1 program for kindergartners, students focus on the first 13 letters of the alphabet and how to read, write, spell, and recognize those letters. Students learn one sound for each of the letters and how to blend the letter-sounds to read words and eventually sentences, according to the website, superkidsreading.org. They also learn how to write the capital and lowercase form of each letter and to spell words with the letters and sounds they’ve been taught.

In Level 2, called “Superkids Club,” the students learn the last 13 letters of the alphabet, and can also access the program’s online games, activities, and practice lessons at home. Currently, Mrs. Fallon and her colleagues at St. Teresa’s use the program in conjunction with the Smart Boards in their classrooms. The at-home, online access will further enhance their hands-on learning, she said.

Mrs. Fallon, who has been teaching kindergarten at St. Teresa’s for seven years, commends the program for its fresh and interesting approach to reading. 

IMPRESSIVE RESULTS

“My babies are reading already,” she said of her two-dozen kindergartners who’ve been using the program since the fall.

“Almost every child is at the same level,” she added. “I have never had such a success rate so soon, it’s amazing. I think it’s the characters because they can relate to each one of them.”

At the party, the students dressed as — and performed songs sung by — their favorite Superkids for the parents and Superkids representatives in attendance.

They also wore special Superkids T-Shirts which parents purchased as a fund-raiser for STS, and which they get to wear to school every Tuesday.

Overall, Mrs. Fallon and her colleagues believe the program is a win-win situation. “The kids love it, I am getting great feedback from the parents, and we appreciate it so much because it is making our job a little easier,” she said.

Teachers who would like more information about the Superkids Reading Program can call 866-370-READ (7323), or send an e-mail to info@rowlandreading.org.